Campus Crawl is part of Alcohol Awareness Week

(Oct. 14, 2008)--UTSA's Campus Crawl, an alcohol awareness program is featured as a model program in the BACCHUS Network's annual programming manual for National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

>> UTSA Campus Crawl is part of UTSA Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW). This year, the event will be 7 p.m.-midnight, Thursday, Oct. 23. For more information on AAW events, visit the Be A Responsible Roadrunner (BARR) Web site or contact Kelsey Bratcher at (210) 458-4160.

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The manual has been distributed to more than 1,000 campuses across the United States as a model program for National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW), October 19-25. During NCAAW, students can participate in a variety of events, all designed to reinforce personal responsibility and respect for state laws and school policies regarding the consumption of alcohol beverages.

The manual's featured program, Campus Crawl, was created by Kelsey Bratcher, UTSA assistant director for risk education, alcohol and drug programs, in collaboration with BARR, UTSA Residence Life and Housing, Campus Living Villages, UTSA Police and Student Judicial Affairs.

The program provides students an entertaining late-night program and informs them about the risks and responsibilities associated with alcohol. Participants can enjoy several different environments on campus and learn about alcohol poisoning, dangers of drinking games, how easily you can be drugged at a club and where you can find assistance on campus.

University Oaks, Laurel Village, Chaparral Village and Chisholm Hall were the hosts last year for the progressive program that ended with a late-night breakfast and free t-shirts for the 100 participants.

"Having a great team to work with is important for a program's success," Bratcher said. "The resident assistants were a vital part of putting together the different events and made the vision a reality."

In February, UTSA's Campus Crawl also won the BACCHUS Area 6 Outstanding Program award. Several resident assistants have presented the program at various conferences with positive reviews.

"Ultimately, campuses need to educate students about excessive drinking and consequences that can occur on both a personal and academic level," said Bratcher. "All college and university offices need to empower students to take responsibility for their own decisions and the campus environment when it comes to alcohol. We have to engage and empower students to take care of themselves and each other."

The BACCHUS Network, a university- and community-based network focusing on comprehensive health and safety initiatives, develops an annual programming manual for their affiliates for each NCAAW. BARR is an affiliate program of BACCHUS.